Profile information for Valentina Caputi, Ph.D.
More information about Valentina Caputi, Ph.D.
- Department of Poultry Science
More bio information
Education
Ph.D.Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova2016
M.S.Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova2011
Professional Experience
08/2026-Present: Assistant Research Professor in Poultry Health, Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
07/2022-07/2026: Research Microbiologist (Postdoctoral researcher), USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research, Fayetteville, AR.
05/2021-06/2022: Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
01/2019-01/2021: Alimentary-Pharmabiotic Postdoctoral Excellence (APEX) fellowship (Marie SkÅodowska-Curie Action Cofound) at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
03/2018-12/2018: Postdoctoral researcher at the APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
02/2016-02/2018: Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.
Research
Dr. Caputi research focuses on enteric neuroimmunology, neuropharmacology, and gastrointestinal health in poultry, with the primary goal of improving intestinal resilience and reducing the impact of pathogenic infections on the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens. Dr. Caputi investigates how the enteric nervous system, the complex network of neurons and glial cells that modulate gut function, interacts with immune, endocrine, and microbial communities to maintain poultry intestinal homeostasis and protect against pathogens such as coccidia, avian viruses, and others.
Dr. Caputiâs research combines structural and functional approaches to characterize the avian enteric nervous system and its role in poultry gut health. Her work integrates three-dimensional whole-mount immunostaining, tissue-clearing techniques, confocal microscopy, cell culture models, and functional assessment of gastrointestinal motility to evaluate changes in enteric nervous system organization and function in broiler chickens during exposure to avian pathogenic infections. Through these multidisciplinary approaches, Dr. Caputi seeks to identify novel neuronal-mediated immune mechanisms that can be targeted to enhance poultry health, welfare, and performance while reducing the susceptibility to enteric diseases.
